Depressed Home Sales and Housing Slump Acting Like a Prison

Good Morning,

   Hope you had a nice weekend. To those of you who ran the marathon in NYC this past weekend, that is incredible. That is the ultimate definition of pushing your body to the upper limits of it's potential.

   On that note, we all wish that the housing market would push itself to the upper limits of it's potential as well, however, with the Pending Home Sales Index numbers that came out last Friday, don't hold your breath. The National Association of Realtors said, "Pending home sales retreated after two monthly gains, signaling an uneven recovery entering 2011 with some near-term disruptions from the foreclosure moratorium". Troubles abound.

   "The depressed real estate market is having another effect", writes David Schepp from AOL Finance, in an article titled, "Housing's Slump Is Keeping Job Seekers Stuck in Place". Schepp notes that it's become, "more difficult, if not impossible, for workers to relocate to take new jobs. The percentage of unemployed managers and executives relocating for new positions fell to a record low in the third quarter, according to analysis by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a Chicago-based employment-services firm." This is an interesting angle that is not in the forefront of our minds, but it is just another casualty of the housing/economic slump. It's like a virtual "prison".

   For the remainder of the economy, there are no major housing-related numbers coming out this week, and depending on how you look at it, that might be good !

   Have You read the "Secrets of Rent to Own" (The manual on how to buy or sell via Rent to Own), or, "Will It Work In My Town?" (The Real Estate Investing Guidebook)? If not, it's worth noting that if you purchase either of those books, you will receive the other one for free. To learn more about "Secrets of Rent to Own", Read More Here, and to learn more about "Will It Work In My Town?", Read More Here.

Have a Great Day, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
HomeRun Homes Blog http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Website http://www.lease2buy.com

Best Markets For Commercial Real Estate Investing

Commercial Real Estate Investing

Hi Folks,

   Hope everyone made it through this week a few steps ahead of where you were on Monday.

   Since we always look at Real Estate and Rent to Own from the Residential angle, today we're going to take a look at Commercial Real Estate Investing, along with some information and some forecasts that could prove quite valuable for you.

   We spoke with two individuals that are quite well-versed in the Commercial Real Estate market, and we asked them about which markets are the best right now, and what the outlook is going forward.

   Our first comments come from Shari Olefson, a Real Estate Lawyer, Author, and an expert panelist who frequently appears on CNBC, MSNBC, FOX, CNN, and CSPAN. Olefson says that the best Commercial Real Estate (CRE) markets, "mirror the best - or least worst - residential markets.", and that, "Folks perceive home wealth gains or losses as more permanent than stock markets gains or losses". Olefson says that home equity gains/losses are spread across all socio-economic groups, while only the top 1/3 of Americans hold most of the stock. "Why does this matter?"; Olefson said that, "since CRE values (occupancy and rates) depends on tenants or occupants generating income which oftentimes comes (from)  folks in or near that geographic location.", and that, "When those folks feel poor they don't spend"

   Olefson offers some tips for Investors with strong staying power, in that, "they may find the best deal in longer terms non cashing flowing asset purchases from lenders. For example defunct residential projects in Florida. And particularly where FDIC loss share agreements are involved.". She also says that, "For now acquiring banks are not selling notes on these deals as the guidelines for pricing notes from the FDIC are not clear.", and , "As a result these assets are having to go thru the entire foreclosure process. But once this kink is resolved those CRE note purchases may be good values. Knowing the terms of a banks loss share agreement is helpful as during the time immediately before those expire banks will be especially eager to try to deal."

   We also spoke with Denise Beeson, a Commercial loan officer with Bay Sierra Financial, Inc., who states that, "If you are a professional i.e. MD, dentist, podiatrist, or small business owner, etc. this is the ideal time to buy your building under the SBA 504 program (10%) down, or through a commercial loan (25-35% ) down with interest rates this low.". The reason, she says, is that, "Owner occupied buildings are very appealing to the professional or business owners who have paid rent/leased and the building owners are interested in selling."

   Beeson believes that the market will continue to be, "rather 'soft' in the next 2-3 years as buyers recoup from financial problems i.e. stock market decreases, vacancies, depressed real estate prices.", and that the economy has to stabilize before you will see any active purchasing.". Beeson does go on to say that, "the private money market is prospering since commercial investors always need money to buy or refi outside of the traditional banking avenues."

   Overall, it does truly seem a mirror image of the Residential situation, but usually lags behind the events in the Residential spectrum. If you have anything to add to this, such as promising CRE markets, or anything additional, please comment below.

Have a Great Weekend, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
HomeRun Homes Blog http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Website http://www.lease2buy.com

Construction, IHOP, and FSBO

Good Afternoon,
   I hope this week has been kind to you, so far. Well, I have been asked offline to not discuss the fact that my birthday was Halloween, so there...I did not mention my birthday was Halloween (Yay!)

   Construction numbers were released this week, and it is in line with our post from Friday ("Not-So-Spooky Housing Numbers"). Specifically, construction spending during September was above the revised August estimate, however, when comparing September 2009 to September 2010, there was more than a 10% drop.

   I don't know about you folks out there, but I am amazed at the amount of white-washed windows and "Out Of Business" signs. It can be frightening, especially when it affects stores and businesses that you have been patronizing for years. Waldbaums, which is a major grocery supermarket here in the Northeast, has just closed a store nearby. I had to do a double-take when I saw it's huge windows white-washed with an "Out of Business" sign. On the flip-side, we have a brand new IHOP (International House of Pancakes) being built here. Does the need for pancakes outweigh the need for basic food and groceries. Makes me wonder, but I'm a big fan of chocolate flapjacks !

   The next numbers that are coming out will be the Pending Home Sales Index on Friday the 5th.

   In closing, I wanted to let you know that our post titled, "Top 5 Concerns When Selling a Home FSBO", has become one of our most popular posts of all time. I can honestly say that I'm glad we posted it for you, and please make sure you pass the link (http://blogging.lease2buy.com/2010/10/top-5-concerns-when-selling-home-fsbo.html) to all of your friends so they can also thank you for the wealth of information in that post. If you can kindly Link to it, Tweet it, Facebook it, Digg it, Buzz it, etc,...that would be wonderful !


Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
HomeRun Homes Blog http://blogging.lease2buy.com/
HomeRun Homes Website http://www.lease2buy.com/

Rent, Buy, Or Rent to Own ?

Hi Folks,

   I Hope you had a safe Halloween with a lot of treats. Please forgive me if my style of writing is a little odd today, as the sugar rush is quite fierce this year. It is the First of November, and any way that I look at it, I am now a year older!

   A few months back, we covered the topic of, "Rent vs. Buy" in a separate post, and a few weeks ago, we followed up on the topic with a post titled, "Revisiting the Rent vs. Buy Debate". Molly Line of FoxNews recently ran a story titled, "Shattered Dreams: To Rent or Buy, That is the Question", of which I thought might be of interest to you.

   In the above-mentioned article, Line asks the question, "...is it really wiser to buy during a time of economic uncertainty? Or is renting a better bargain?". She spoke with some experts who point to the fact that people who are buying now have their financial "house" in order, and it would make sense for them to buy a home. On the other side of the debate, Line points to the positive side of renting, which means, "no property taxes, no upkeep costs, no paying for a new roof or dishwasher."

   Ultimately, there is no fine line that delineates a region of the country where people are just buying or renting...there are just trends (see http://blogging.lease2buy.com/2010/10/revisiting-rent-vs-buy-debate.html). The financial condition of the prospective buyer, the prospective tenant, or the prospective tenant/buyer (in the case of Rent to Own), would seem as if it would override most factors. Do they have a lot of debt? How is their credit? Do they have a job? Do they need a job? Just some food for thought.

   Please send us your comments and suggestions, as they always prove valuable for your fellow readers here.

Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
HomeRun Homes Blog http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Website http://www.lease2buy.com

Not-So-Spooky Housing Numbers

Good Morning,
   Once again, Friday is upon us, and I'm ready to trick-or-treat...well, not me, my son (and I normally collect 10% of candy off the Gross Candy Margin - the "GCM"). Sorry, I needed to start the day with a little bit of sweet humor. OK, enough puns.

   Now, speaking of margins and indices, I just wanted to recap a few news items that were released from mid-week up to now, since we already touched on the Existing Home Sales numbers this past Monday.

   The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices were released, and it showed us that home prices slowed down in August, with a drop in the growth rates in 17 of the 20 large metropolitan areas that were covered, and 10 of the 20 city composites. Interestingly enough, the FHFA Monthly House Price Index reflected price increase of 0.4 percent from July to August.

   New Residential Sales numbers were also released, and they show a 6.6 percent increase over the revised August rate, however, substantially below September 2009 (to the tune of a 21.5 percent decrease). Comparing the August-September span for the New Residential Sales to the same period of time as the Existing Home Sales numbers from Monday (where the National Association of Realtors stated that, "Existing-home sales rose again in September, affirming that a sales recovery has begun".), things are looking up. Just don't pay attention to the last 12 months up to that period of time, since that will taint your happiness over this "housing recovery".

   Any comments? Questions? Concerns? Any specific topics you want to see covered in our Blog?

   Doing anything cool this Halloween weekend? If so, E-mail me with your exciting and scary plans for Halloween, and I'll send you a copy of "Secrets of Rent to Own". Over to you...

Have a Great Weekend, a Safe and Happy Halloween, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !

Regards,
Robert Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes
Web: http://www.lease2buy.com
Blog: http://blogging.lease2buy.com
Public Speaking Appearances: http://www.lease2buy.com/speak.php
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/homerunhomes
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/homerunhomes

UPDATED: Top 5 Concerns When Selling a Home FSBO




For Sale By Owner (FSBO)

  Hi Folks,
   Happy mid-week to all of you. Just a few more days, and it will be my birthday (Halloween). Please don't ask how old I am, will be, or if my face is a permanent Halloween mask...I've been down that road before !

   Today, we will be taking a look at some of the best pieces of advice for people selling their home as a "For Sale By Owner" (FSBO). Based on a wide variety of discussions, we have rounded out 5 of the main topics of advice for "Fizbers": Legal Concerns, Preparation of the Home, Mechanics of the Sale, Addressing Security Concerns, and Marketing the Home.

   "If they simply refuse to list with a professional, they must know the facts and legal requirements", advises Wendy Hooper, a Realtor in Orange County California, who says that it is important to, "Download as much information from the State Dept of Real Estate as they can get their hands on and use the correct forms". Patrick E. Hudson, an attorney specializing in Commercial Real Estate Law, concurs, and adds that it is important to, "Know your State's disclosure laws to avoid litigation over the property condition".

   Preparing your home for sale is also quite important, as you can imagine. Tom Wright, who was a builder and home flipper for 30 years, advises that you need to clean up the home, rake the leaves, and clean up the lawn, in order to, "Make sure the first impression is a good one". Wendy Hooper suggests that you, "Stage the home like a new model home", and that you should visit some model homes for examples. Wright adds that on walk through days, you should, "bake some bread".

   Your game plan is almost as important as the sale itself, and these "Mechanics of Selling" the home are the keys to your success. Patrick E. Hudson suggests that you know what you are willing to pay a buyer's broker, and also, where you will go once you have a willing buyer. Along the same theme of pricing, Hooper suggests that you, "Visit the local "competition" and price the home accordingly. Homes priced correctly WILL sell".

   A huge part of the mechanics of selling your home FSBO is actually showing the home. Hooper tells us that you need to make sure the home, "is available to see with as little notice as possible", since, "Buyers are fickle and won't wait around until it's convenient for Sellers to let them inside. They'll move on and buy the home that was easiest for them to see according to their schedule". Tom Shipley, a homeowner/homebuyer, says that, "it makes prospective buyers very uncomfortable to tour a house in front of the owner.", and that you should, "ask a trusted friend or even hire someone else and make sure they go out of their way to mention they are not the owner.". The advantage to this is that, "people will spend more time looking at your house and imagining themselves living there.", but, "If you don't have somebody to help you, make sure you don't follow the buyers around.".

   As part of selling your home, you are opening your doors to complete strangers, and this could be an invitation to trouble, so addressing the security concerns is well-warranted. Lydia Player, a Realtor, says that, "A "For-Sale-By-Owner" sign is an invitation to strangers to wander through your home". Player cites many scams, where the visitor asks if you have a security system, one where they go to your bathroom and look for the prescription drugs, and one where they take photos for a "spouse who is out of town", with the photos helping them "case" the layout of your home.

   Player offers some tips to help minimize your risks:

1. Make all of your showing  by appointment only (get a name and number and call back to verify them).
2. Don't be home alone when a stranger visits.
3. Have visitors sign a guest book and ask to see identification, and put the information in a safe place.
4. Place all valuables out of sight, including prescription drugs.
5. Eliminate displays of personal information, such as which schools children attend.
6. Never leave a messages informing callers that you are not home. Don't let strangers know your schedule.
7. Request that visitors enter and exit through one door only. Have quick and easy access to all of your exits.
8. Never leave a stranger alone and watch everything they do while in your house.
9. Do not put information on flyers which would compromise security.

   Finally, in marketing your home, Hudson suggests that to increase exposure, "get the house listed on MLS, using a friend or paying a fee". Kenny Jahng, a small biz and web consultant, suggests that you, "Create a website with a virtual tour, tons of photos and contact form using the street name in the actual URL.". Additionally, if you are also looking to entertain a Rent to Own/Lease Option arrangement, you can list your home on our website (http://www.lease2buy.com/prospectivesellers.php).

   Hopefully, these tips will serve as a great help for you in selling your home "For Sale By Owner" (FSBO), and remember, there are tons of fantastic and hard-working Realtors and Agents out there, should you decide you do not want to do it alone. As always, we welcome your comments.

Have a Great Day, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !



UPDATED: Top 5 Blog post for 2010 (For more information, CLICK HERE)

A Sales Recovery Has Begun

Hi Folks,

   Hope you had a great weekend.

   So, the word on the street, per the National Association of Realtors, is that, "Existing-home sales rose again in September, affirming that a sales recovery has begun". This was in response to the release of Existing Home Sales data for the month of September, which showed another strong gain.

   Additionally, as the jump was a double-digit one, with a 10% increase, it would certainly seem that there is a housing recovery.

   Please keep in mind that there are also some other important numbers coming out this week:
      Tues 10/26 9AM - S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices
      Tues 10/26 10AM - FHFA Monthly House Price Index
      Weds 10/26 10AM - New Residential Sales

Please stay tuned for more (good) news !

Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !

Which Style of Home is the Easiest to Sell or Flip?

Good Morning,
   A happy Friday to all of our readers - whether you are reading this on our Blog, in your E-mail, or in your RSS Feed Reader !

   Regional differences in markets and in tastes are what makes the Real Estate market so intriguing. One question we often hear is, "Which Style of Home is the Easiest to Sell or Flip?", and the answer is, "It Depends".

   Jamie Goldberg, who works with Realtors and investors on updating their listings, says that the answer will vary by region and price point. Goldberg says that in San Diego, Craftsman homes are very popular in certain neighborhoods (North Park and Hillcrest), Contemporaries sell well on the coastline and downtown, while in San Francisco and other historic areas, Victorians are hugely popular.

   Real estate investor Clint Gordon states that in South Florida, a Cape Cod would linger on the market as an oddity, and that, "There is a reason certain styles of homes are prevalent in a region and most often, they are practical, functional reasons", and that investors should stick to the prevalent style in a community.

   Indeed, this is confusing, but it does answer the question: know your market. Research the area and know which style sells. If you are a Realtor and you need to sell a style of home that Gordon called an "oddity", then spruce up the interior and make sure the MLS shows plenty of the interior.

   Any questions or comments? We would love to hear from you.

Have a Great Weekend, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !

Mixed Message from The New Residential Construction Numbers

Hi All,
   It's time for the mid-week "Hello"...so, Hello.

   As the title suggests, the New Residential Construction Numbers were released yesterday, and it has arrows pointing all over the place. There are 3 main components: Building Permits, Housing Starts, and Housing Completions.

   In terms of Building Permits, for privately-owned units, the numbers came in below the August rate and well below September 2009. Single-Family authorizations were slightly above August. What can we tell from this component. Not much, just that the privately-owned side has taken a large hit.

   For the Housing Starts component, privately-owned starts were slightly above August and well above September 2009, while single-family housing starts were also well above September 2009.

   Finally, for Housing Completions, privately-owned housing completions were well above August, however, substantially below September 2009, while single-family housing completions were well above August. Within these figures, we can certainly see some positivity over the past month vs. the past year. However, I don't want to rain on any ones parade, but the HUD does add a disclaimer as follows, "In interpreting changes in the statistics in this release, note that month-to-month changes in seasonally adjusted statistics often show movements which may be irregular. It may take 3 months to establish an underlying trend for building permit authorizations, 3 months for total starts, and 5 months for total completions."

   OK, now onto a new topic, which is a response to a question from one of our readers, who has asked us for the locations of our other Social Media accounts. Since we are listed on quite a lot of them, I have listed the main ones for her (and your) convenience:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/homerunhomes
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/homerunhomes
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/lease2buy
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/homerunhomes
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/lease2buy
Google Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/lease2buycom
FriendFeed: http://friendfeed.com/homerunhomes
Plurk: http://www.plurk.com/homerunhomes
YouTube: http://youtube.com/user/renttoownleaseoption
ITunes: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=373351426

Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !!

A Salute to Our Military

Hi Folks,
   Good morning and I hope you had a great weekend! We have been blessed with some perfect fall days the past few weekends, and the weather has finally been perfect !

   Is today a National holiday? No. Is it a day to salute and give thanks to our military? Yes. Every day is a day to salute the military, and we don't need a calendar to tell us to do it !

   I come from a very patriotic family; my paternal grandfather served in World War I (and we treasure the medals he received for his service), and my maternal grandfather served as a marksman at Omaha Beach during World War II (and we equally cherish his honorable discharge papers from his service, as well). Additionally, my dad was a Marine, and both of my cousins have served numerous missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is truly a labor of love, and we salute all of the men and women in uniform.

   As always, we offer military discounts for the folks in uniform that are looking for or are offering Rent to Own Homes, and the discount is available by using the code MILDISC10 when placing an Ad, along with using their .mil E-mail address to place the Ad.

   Additionally, we are always open to working with non-profit groups, including those groups who are helping current and former members of the military. Please contact us for further details on how we can help you.

   To those of you who are in the military, have retired from the military, have family in the military, and especially to those who have a friend or relative who gave the ultimate sacrifice, we thank you a million times over.

Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !

Setting Goals in Real Estate Investing

Good Morning,

   I hope you've had a great week, and I hope that you have met all of your goals.

   In mentioning the word, "Goals" during our speaking appearances, we always remind audiences how important it is to set goals in anything that you do, especially in Real Estate investing. There is an entire psychological aspect behind Real Estate investing (too deep to go over in this post), and you need to assess where you stand and if you can weather the housing market "storm" before you should even list your goals and action them. Perhaps this is too abstract for this post, but always remember, we are driven by both psychology, and then by our goals. To hear me discuss this in depth, book me for your next meeting.

   Next week, we have the September numbers coming out for New Residential Construction on Tuesday (Oct 19th), and the Loan Performance Housing Price Index for August on Thursday (Oct 21st). Let's see where things are headed and let's discuss.

CONTEST TIME !

For the first 10 people who place an Ad by 11:59 PM EST Sunday Night:

We will send you a free copy of "Secrets of Rent to Own", or "Will it Work In My Town?"...it's your choice!

Where Can You place Your Ad?

Looking for a Rent to Own Home? Place Your Ad Here
Selling a Rent to Own Home? Place Your Ad Here
Selling a Rent to Own Commercial Property? Place Your Ad Here
Offering a Home Service? Place Your Ad Here

Once You Place Your Ad:

Once you place your Ad, E-mail us from the address you used to place your Ad, and let us know whether you want a copy of "Secrets of Rent to Own", or "Will it Work In My Town?".
E-mail us HERE

Have a Great Weekend, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !



#realestate #realestateinvesting #housing #residential #renttoown
 

It's Still Rent to Own to Me

Hi Folks,
   News and trends spread fast in our global economy. One of the housing trends that has reached well beyond the borders of the U.S. has been that of "Rent to Own".

   As I often say, when I started this business in 2002, “Rent to Own” and "Lease Option” (and hybrids of the two) were alien terms. Over the 8+ years of managing the business, we have had our eye on the global markets, and we have seen some interesting developments.

   Now, the devil is in the details, but there are slight variations of Rent to Own all around the globe. For example, Australia uses the terms "rent to buy" and "vendor finance", and the UK and Ireland use "buy to let" (as well as lease option).

   Do you know what the two largest markets for Rent to Own are outside of the U.S.? It's Canada, and also, the Philippines. I bet you didn't guess that? Yes, often, this blows people away. In addition, the Philippines actually refer to it as "Rent to Own", as do our neighbors to the north. The Canadian market also uses some other variations, such as Vendor Take Back, or "VTB". Some other countries that use Rent to own or variations of it, include New Zealand and some of the Caribbean Islands .

   However, to find variations, we don't have to look far. While Chicago, the major cities in Florida, and North Carolina are some of the places that use the term, "Rent to Own", other places such as Atlanta and Phoenix use, "Lease Purchase" (varies in definition, but extremely similar).

   Please don't take this as the musings of a Real Estate Blogger, but as a primer for your entry into multiple national and international markets outside of your regular niche focus. Perhaps you could even consider it a small education on the real estate naming conventions across our big blue marble that we call Earth.

Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !

Revisiting the Rent vs. Buy Debate

Hi All,
   Happy Columbus Day to you. For those of you who have the day off, congratulations. For those of us working, well, we have to work today!

   Back in June, we covered the much-debated topic of "Rent vs. Buy", and Trulia has released their Rent vs. Buy Index. As Blake Ellis, a staff reporter with CNN Money notes in his article, "Where to buy and where to rent", Trulia is using the following rule to make the Rent vs. Buy determination: If the home price is 15 times higher than the annual rent for a similar property, it is better to rent.

In terms of which cities were mentioned, Ellis cites Trulia's index as follows:

Where to Buy a Home:
Miami, Detroit, Jacksonville, Arlington, Columbus (OH), and Nashville

Where to Rent a Home:
New York, Seattle, Fort Worth, Omaha, Kansas City, and San Diego.

   How do you think Rent to Own fits into the picture? The funny thing is that it could apply to any of these cities, since it is often situation-specific instead of market-specific. Do you Agree? Disagree? Please let us know.

   Do you have any additional recommendations for any other cities not mentioned here? Let us know, as there might be an buyer, renter, realtor, or investor reading this, and we all like to share and help each other.

Have a Great Day, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !!

Valuable Real Estate and Construction Industry Associations

Hi Folks,
   Friday has come upon us quite fast this week. The sun is shining and it's cool out. Fall is here. Hooray !

   Today, I'd like to discuss the mortar that holds the Real Estate and Construction industries together, and that would be the industry associations. These groups and organizations allow the professionals from all sectors and niches of the Real Estate and Construction industry to mingle amongst each other in order to create better opportunities that drive the housing market.

   The first one that I would like to mention is the Building Trades Association (BTA), which is, as they describe on their website, "made up of thousands of companies involved in all phases of the building and construction industries". Additionally, they have an invaluable Contractor Directory, which can prove as vital to anyone in our industry. They charge a nominal fee for full access to their services and registration.

   Jessie Sidhu, a multi family investor and Real Estate Broker, names the Apartment Association as a very valuable resource, stating that, "They keep you informed of all latest rules, regulations, laws (local, state & federal) pertaining to landlords and renters", as well as, "provide insights into the industry/current trends along with local vendor resources and more".

   Raj Persaud, a Sales Agent and Business Development Manager for Manhattist Inc, cites the National Real Estate Investors Association (NREIA), Multiple Listing Service (MLS), and the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), as his most valuable industry associations.

   Persaud says that the NREIA is a, "very sophisticated association but you can tell that they do very real work which has very practical implications for the industry", and that he thinks that, "they are the most future-forward in fore-seeing approaching challenges and mobilizing investors and professionals to address them".

   For the MLS, Persaud says that, "to just be a part of this service is incredibly convenient and instantly enhances your company to marketing 2.0. They make a search for any property in NYC with open listings very easy and at your fingertips". In discussing the REBNY, Persaud says that is serves as the, "real backbone to the property market here in NYC. Their unity of professionals brings real hope to the industry and they are always promoting better standards, including energy efficiency in buildings across the state. This is the kind of force we all need".

   Have we missed any associations that are valuable to you? Please comment and let us know.

Have a Great Weekend, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !

5 Steps to Achieving Your Real Estate Investing Goals

Hi All,

   Hope you're having a great week, thus far.

   Today's Blog post will be "short and sweet, and something you can re-tweet". Well, sorry about that rhyme, but this post will be looked at in one of two ways, depending on the reader...as an informative post, or as something you may look at as common knowledge.

5 Steps to Achieving Your Real Estate Investing Goals

1. Know Your Niche: If you're focusing on a neighborhood or a town, know everything about it. Population, cancer rates, taxes for homes and business, etc. The more you know, the more you will use during negotiations.

2. Contractors are Your friends: The contractors, landscapers, and all other Home Service Professionals (HSPs) can be valuable, since they also know their niche, and you can use their services for renovations and/or upkeep, as well as feed off their knowledge of the area, as well.

3. Reading is Fundamental: Read everything on real estate investing that you can find. You can never learn "too much". It all comes into play during research, negotiations, and making offers. Suggested reading: The E-Book titled, "Will it Work in My Town?" , and the E-Book titled, "Secrets of Rent to Own", and many others from other reputable companies.

4. Partner Up: Make friends with your local Realtors. They always have their finger on the pulse of the local market, since it is their livelihood. They can be invaluable members on your Real Estate Investing "SWAT" team.

5. Attend and Make a Friend: Make sure you check with your local real estate investing club or REIA about the time and date of their next meeting. Once there, you can listen to the speakers (you might even hear ME speaking there ), and make friends with other investors, Realtors, and HSPs in your niche area.

CONTEST:

Here is a contest to help you along, but it will end this Friday (10/8) at 5PM EST:

If you purchase a copy of the E-Book, "Will it Work in My Town?"...you will also receive a FREE copy of the E-Book, "Secrets of Rent to Own".

If you purchase a copy of the E-Book, "Secrets of Rent to Own"...you will also receive a FREE copy of the E-Book, "Will it Work in My Town?".

Once you buy either of these E-Books, then all you need to do is E-mail homebuyer@lease2buy.com with the E-mail address you used to buy the book, and you will receive a copy of the other E-Book by return reply.

Have a Great Day, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !!